Upright piano action



Oct. 19, 1937. c. D. BOND 2,096,478

UPRIGHT PIANO ACTION Filed March 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l FTQIJ l fi as'l 32 l u gm TFNE'TF Ewan REY'BTOM 1 INVENTOR CHAUNCEY D. BOND ATTO R NEY Oct. 19, 1937. c. D. BOND 2,096,478

UPRIGHT Pmfio ACTION Filed Marsh 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORCHAUNCEY D. BOND ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 19, 1937 nrmon'r PIANO ACTIONChauncey D. Bond, York, Pl...

Piano Company, Inc., of Pennsylvania auignor to Weaven York, Pa acorporation Application March 9, 1936, Serial No. 67,757 6 Claims. (CI.84-24 This invention relates to key operated stringed musicalinstruments such as pianos, and more particularly to upright pianos ofthe miniature ype.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano inwhich the level of the key board can be disposed at any desired heightwith respect to the standard upright piano action, the sound board, andthe iron frame of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright pianoaction in which there is no locked contact between the key and theaction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright pianoaction in which the keys may be removed without disturbing theregulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright pianoso constructed that the action can be removed without disturbing theregulation.

Another object of the invention'is to provide an improved upright pianohaving improved 25 means for adjusting the mechanism so that the Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano of thecharacter mentioned, which is simple in construction and reliable andexact in function under all conditions of service.

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of whichit is composed as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an end elevation of a miniature upright piano constructedaccording to the present invention with parts broken away and invertical section;

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section of the principal parts of theaction of the upright piano shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the action lift memberoperatively associated with the key and the wippen for operating theaction shown in Fig. 2.

In the construction of miniature upright pianos having the standardaction m chanism, the discated too close to the floor to permit a playerwhile sitting on a piano stool or bench to position his legs, especiallyhis knees, beneath the key bottom.

According to the upright pianos of very small size and embodyingstructed with the keyboard level desired with respect to the keys willoperate the action in the usual manner. Such improvement in theconstruction of miniature upright pianos is accomplished by shorteningthe length of the key bottom, key frame and the keys, and operativelyconnecting the inner endof the shortened key with the wippen by animproved action lift in the nature of a Z-shaped member constructed inthe manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

Referringv to the drawings, the standard upright piano action comprisesa wippen Ii which is pivotally mounted upon an action rail l2 by' meansof a wippen flange l3. A hammer butt I4 is pivotally mounted upon theaction rail I I by means of a flange IS. A jack I6 is pivotally carriedupon the wippen II by means of a flange positioned at any action, sothat the In accordance with the present invention the key 2|, key frame22 and key bottom 23 are all mounted in the piano at a point above thewippen H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

- In the prior construction of standard upright pianos the inner end ofthe key 2| terminated beeath the wippen and the inner end of the keycarried a capstan screw, the head of which en- Based a felt Pad carriedby the underside of the whippen. The purpose of the capstan screw was toenable the inner end of the key to at all times be operatively engagedwith the wippen.

With the key II and its will strike a musical m.

- According to the present invention the means for operativelyconnecting the key 2| with the wippen comprises an action lift 25 in theform of an elongated member of substantial Z-form.

The upper end of the action lift 25 has a laterally extending arm 26which overlies the inner end of the key 2!, and the lower end of theaction lift 25 is formed with an arm 21 which extends laterally in adirection opposite to the arm 26 and terminates in an upwardly extendinglug 28, which engages a felt pad 29 on the underside of the wippen II.

In order thatthe lug 28 can be at all times maintained in contact withthe wippen H, the underside of the arm 26 is formed with an arcuatesurface 30 which constitutes a bearing for engagingthekey2l.

Formed in the arm 26 on opposite sides of the arcuate bearing surface30, are openings 3! through which are inserted screws 32 which aremounted'in the key 2| as shown in Fig. 2. v

By this construction the relative position of the action lift 25 can beregulated or adjusted so that when the key is mounted on the key framethe inner end or lug 28 of the action lift 25 will bear against theunderside of the wippen whereby th key will be operatively connectedwith the wippen in the customary manner.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the fact thatthe usual piano key which, as is well known, is supported upon a centerpin 33 carried by a center rail 34 of the key frame 22 and key pin 35carried by the usual front rail 36, can be taken out or removed from thepiano without disturbing the regulation. Furthermore, by the abovedescribed construction it will be noted that there is no locked contactbetween the key and the action, and the key can be readily removed inthe usual manner by first raising the outer end of the key to disengagethe; same from the pins 33 and 35, since the inner end of the actionlift arm will pass readily underneath the outer end of the wippen ll.

In Fig. l I have indicated by a broken line the usual location of thekey bottom in the standard miniature upright pianos. It will beappreciated that by my present invention the key bottom can be locatedat a point considerably above the usual disposition of this part ofupright pianos.

While in the instant case the key bottom is located slightly above thewippen of thestandard upright piano action, it will be appreciated thatthe key bottom can be located at any other relative position desired andwhen such relocation of the key board is effected it is only necessaryto construct the intermediate vertical portion of the action lift 25longer or shorter as the case may be, so that when said action lift ismounted on the key 2| its inner end 28 will operatively engage theunderside of the wippen-ll.

Changes may be made in the details of construction and in thearrangement of the parts above described within certain limits withoutdeparting from-the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I extending portion projectingfrom lower laterally extending portion for engaging the underside of thewippen. v

2. In a piano action, a wippen, a key board having a key pivotallymounted thereon and located in front of and above the wippen, and an armcarried by said key and comprising an upper laterally extending portion,an intermediate depending portion, a lower laterally extending portionunderlying the wippen and an upwardly extending portion projecting fromlower laterally extending portion for engaging the underside of thewippen, and means for adjustably mounting said arm on the key tomaintain the inner end thereof in engagement with the wippen.

3. In an upright piano having a standard action, a wippen, a keydisposed in front of and above the wippen, a single armv engageable withsaid wippen for actuating the same, a pair of spaced apart screws passedthrough one end portion of said arm for securing said arm to the key,and a lug depending from said arm and disposed between said screws andconstituting a bearing justably fastened to the key and having itsopposite end underlying and disconnected from said wippen. I

5. A piano action comprising a wippen, a key disposed in front of andabove the wippen, and means operatively connecting the key. with thewippen, said means comprising a single arm engageable with anddisconnected from said wippen and having an elongated substantiallyvertical portion adjustably carried by the inner end of the key andhaving its lower end terminating at a point below said wippen andadapted to actuate the whippen when thekey is operated.

6. A piano action comprising a wippen, and a key for operating saidwippen .having a Z- shaped extension terminating beneath-anddisconnected from the wippen, said extension being engageable with the.underside of said wippen when the key is operated. v

' CHAUNCEY D. BOND.

